Isolated Murmurs
by AngelfishGirl
Summary: Sasuke is kidnapped and his life forcefully shifts. It's hard enough to hear those dreadful words "No food. No water. No medicine." On top of the painful torture and beatings. How much more suffering can the young Uchiha take? Naruto isn't the kidnapper
1. Ten Minutes

_Isolated Murmurs_

_Chapter 1: Ten Minutes_

Ten minutes. Boring, pointless ten minutes. That's all tragedy needs to strike you when you least expect it. Before the ten minutes of horror starts, you're only sitting at home reading a book. That's all that you need to be doing. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sasuke was sitting at home reading a book. It was nearly midnight. He couldn't sleep. He had been trying to sleep for the last two hours. Finally, after giving up on sleep, he flipped on the light, and pulled out a hard cover book labeled _"Chakra in various ninja"_ and flipped through the flimsy pages until he found the spot he was looking for.

It was no longer than five minutes later when he heard glass shattering, making Sasuke jump. His eyes darted from the book, to the door of his room.

He slowly got up, making his way to the door. He couldn't hear anything at first, until he heard slight whispering. The evil rasps getting louder and louder as they made their way around the house.

Sasuke did hand signs for Chidori, ready to blast through the door Chidori in hand. He put his hand on the handle preparing to open the door, while his ear was still listening through the brown wood waiting for the intruders to get close enough for him to catch them by surprise.

He heard them close enough to his door, and then the voices got quiet. All the footsteps stopped. They weren't close to his room door though! He couldn't get to them fast enough without risking getting attacked himself.

Without warning, the door blasted open and Sasuke was thrown back by the force. The Chakra immediately faded away as he let out a surprised yelp. He fell to the ground on his back just as a heavy weight pounced onto his stomach and tried to hold him still as he thrashed and squirmed under them. Sasuke tried to let out a scream but the intruder covered his mouth with his hand, which was covered with a thin, black glove.

Sasuke immediately tried to give the intruder a swift punch in the stomach but somebody else had grabbed his hands. They twisted his hands back painfully and Sasuke would've screamed in pure agony had the intruder not have been keeping him quiet.

The burglar on top of his took out a cloth and wrapped it around Sasuke's head, making sure it was tight enough to stay in Sasuke's mouth and not outside it. Sasuke panted painfully as the cloth was pulled closer to his throat. He could barely breath through his mouth, making his panting rough. His jaw was sore from staying open so long but he couldn't shut his mouth, he would only clamp down on the thick white towel. He couldn't scream for help with the cloth there either.

To make it worse, the intruder had another cloth. He took it out, and reached for the back of Sasuke's head again. Sasuke thrashed under the masked man, desperately trying to get him off so he could get away.

The man above him spoke, his voice rough and cold. "Hurry up; we don't have all night you know." He spoke clearly.

Sasuke refused to stop thrashing. He wouldn't give up. Not until he was safe and far away from these people.

After a long time of thrashing, the man above Sasuke had used his knees to sit on Sasuke's hands. Sasuke cried out in agony as loud as he could, but the man wasn't finished. He rammed his elbow into Sasuke's ribs, then grabbed the sides of Sasuke's head with both heads and held him still.

Sasuke could no longer move; he could only tremble in absolute fear as the man wrapped the white towel around his head, this time tying it over his eyes.

Sweat beads finally fell from Sasuke's forehead, soaking the towel. His panting got louder and louder, even with the first towel still in his mouth tightly.

Being blinded, Sasuke didn't notice the man take out a syringe out of his pocket, filled with a clear looking liquid. The man above him sighed, and then bent down closer to Sasuke's face.

Sasuke was visibly shaking much worse than an average person. He was clearly afraid of what was going to happen.

"Calm down, Sasuke. You're going to feel a little bit sleepy, alright?" He said calmly. Popping of the cover of the syringe. Sasuke started thrashing again as best as he could with the man still on top of him and the other one holding his head while the pain rushed through his stomach. "Mrff!! Mrff!!" He tried to scream with the cloth still in his mouth.

He felt a small prick, and then he felt the rush of fluids entering his body through his neck. The man on top of his removed the cloth from Sasuke's mouth and got up from on top of him.

"Alright. We got what we needed. Let's go." He said. He removed the cloth from Sasuke's eyes, even though he knew Sasuke was still awake.

Sasuke tried to scream for help, but all that came out was a soft, worthless moan. He felt the darkness lift from his eyes but found that everything was still a little blurry from the effects of the drug. His eyes were half closed, but the intruder knew that Sasuke would be awake a little longer before he fell asleep.

"Help…" He whispered, making a last desperate attempt to call out for help. The intruder smiled evilly at the sight of Sasuke trying to fight the effects and call for help.

"Shh… calm down and go to sleep, Sasuke." His voice was nothing but a soft murmur. "You can't fight when drugged. You might as well go to sleep. You should be sleeping anyway."

Sasuke didn't know why the man was acting differently suddenly.

The man picked Sasuke up in his arms. Sasuke still stared blankly up at him. Sasuke let out another pained moan.

"Shh... Hush. Go to sleep, Sasuke." The man murmured again. The two kidnappers quietly left the house, silently hopping through the trees, waiting for the young 13 year old Uchiha's breaths to even out.

It took twenty three seconds before the Uchiha finally succumbed to sleep.

His eyelids felt like they were 40 pounds… each. He couldn't stand keeping them open. The throbbing pain in his stomach had slowly started fading away.

A blotch of black invaded his vision, slowly getting bigger and bigger as it taunted Sasuke to enter it. At first, Sasuke was a little shaky about it, but the he couldn't stop it from growing due to whatever drug the kidnappers had injected him with. He finally accepted the welcoming darkness, hoping that when he could finally ascend from the darkness, he would be safer than where he was now.

The carrying Sasuke heard the Uchiha's even breaths, and looked at his clock to see how long it took to sedate Sasuke and get out of his house.

Exactly 10 minutes.

**Did you like the chapter? I'll keep going if I get enough people to ask me to! :)**

**Review!! +1 review = winning the lottery!**


	2. Snake Eyes

_Chapter 2:_

_Snake Eyes_

Sasuke let out an unintentional moan, lifting his arm up to cover his throbbing eyes. They felt like they had just had a hammer smash them to tiny little fragments, but even so, Sasuke forced his eyes open.

Everything was nothing but a blur of neutral colors. He didn't see anything but mingles of black, grey, and white.

His whole body ached, especially his stomach from the masked kidnapper jamming him there. Speaking of the kidnappers, where were they? Sasuke looked around, hoping to catch a trace of the intruder's skin tone. Nothing. Instead, Sasuke closed his beating eyes, feeling the sting subside slightly.

He could vaguely sense the Chakra of somebody, but it wasn't the same as the people who had kidnapped him. They had a larger amount of Chakra than the person he sensed now.

He could also tell that he was lying on a small bed, only inches wider than he was. He was tucked under the covers. They very warm compared to the bitter chill nipping at his face and arm that he now laid next to his side.

He couldn't figure out much more. His mind was still muddled and misty from the effects of the drug. Drowsiness drifted over his head, challenging Sasuke's will to stay alert. Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes open for too long quite yet. Whatever they had injected him with was not a normal sedative.

Sasuke let his thoughts flow from the kidnappers and the place to avenging his brother. (Random, yes. But remember, he's drugged. You don't think straight when you're drugged)

Eventually, sometime through the process of thinking, Sasuke's mind slowly lost to his battle with consciousness. He gradually fell asleep.

When he woke up again, he wasn't in the same place as he was before. He was on a different bed, and before he had even opened his eyes, he sensed somebody next to and quickly stiffened his eyes before they opened. His body felt considerably better now, and the drowsiness was almost gone, despite the small amount he had from just waking up.

He could sense that the person next to him still wasn't the kidnappers, but the person's Chakra was so incredibly massive that a sweat drop dripped down from his forehead before he could even realize that the person was dangerous.

He also wasn't stupid though. With somebody as strong as the person next to him, they would surely know he was awake, or at least waking up. He couldn't feign sleep forever.

Deciding to take the chance, he let out a small moan, rubbing his eyes intentionally as if he just woke up that very second.

"Well, you finally decided to wake up, huh?" A cold, eerie voice hissed to Sasuke.

It wouldn't have been so strange if the voice didn't seem to weird. Men had deep voices a lot, like his own for example, but the voice _hissed,_ which was not normal.

Letting out another groan, Sasuke opened his onyx eyes, only to pinch them shut forcefully again with a blinding light beating down on his face.

"Who… are you?" He intended it to be a demanding, cold, heartless voice; but instead, it turned out to be a whisper. He didn't know if it was because of his fear of the man's Chakra, or the effects of the drug. A little bit of both, perhaps.

"My, my. So impatient." He said, he tried to touch Sasuke's face with cool fingertips, but the moment they touched, Sasuke jerked his head back the other way to evade contact.

"My name is Orochimaru the snake." He voice hissed contently. Sasuke felt a painful throb on his neck at the name.

_Orochimaru… _he thought. His mind raced as memories in the forest of death came rushing back to him. That cursed day that he wished he could forget, but the three comma-like symbols on his neck still lurked him like an unwanted tattoo that could never come off no matter what you did.

Then, he suddenly realized that the voice of the kidnapper sounded faintly recognizable. _Who… who was that?_ Sasuke thought desperately as he tried to remember. Then, he gasped as his memory returned. "Kabuto…" He whispered under his breath.

"What was that, my Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked him. "Nothing." He said, realizing his voice was back to normal now.

_Well, this is great. I was kidnapped by Kabuto and brought to Orochimaru. Now, I have no idea what's going to happen or even where we are. I wonder if people are looking for me, or how long I have been asleep for now? _Sasuke thought.

"Kabuto." Sasuke heard Orochimaru call out for his trusty right-hand man.

In a flash, Kabuto appeared next to Orochimaru with an evil grin on his face. He lifted his glasses up to his eyes, "Yes Orochimaru?" He asked, and then glanced back at Sasuke, who was looking at him with squinted eyes. "Ah! I see Sasuke has woken up."

"Yes." Orochimaru squinted his eyes to give Kabuto a hard glare. "He can't move right now. He's still under the effects of the sedative as well, so do take good care of him."

Sasuke didn't think that the drug was effecting him anymore, but then before he could say anything at all, Kabuto had injected him with something. It was another simple shot, nothing more, straight to his neck again. Kabuto then lifted him into his arms, and started carrying him away to some unknown place.

Sasuke felt himself feeling heavier and drowsy as well. Something didn't feel right though, he wasn't falling asleep. He just felt drowsy, and he lost control of his body. He was limp, and that was it. He still had his voice too. If he wanted, he could scream.

Instead, he turned his head and sighed into Kabuto's stomach. He breathed in Kabuto's scent. A warm mix of herbs and medicines. (A/N this is NOT a KabuSasu book, even though I personally like KabuSasu, I'm not making it that way)

"Kabuto?" Sasuke whispered, eyes closed, but still awake. Kabuto glanced down. "Hmm? What's up Sasuke?" He whispered. Sasuke took a deep breath. "Where are we going?" He asked with what sounded like a pained voice. Kabuto sighed, "It's alright. We're only going to your new room." He said. Sasuke nodded into his stomach, not willing to answer.

It was a couple of minutes later when Kabuto opened a stone door, and stepped inside the door. The room smelled musty and old. The rock was definitely worn down, but there was one smell that got Sasuke's attention- the scent of blood. The aroma lingered above his head, making Sasuke feel extremely unsafe and uncomfortable.

Kabuto walked over to a small made bed, the same side as the first one, and pulled the covers back, lying Sasuke on the bed and tucking him back in. "Kabuto?" He asked again. "What is it, Sasuke?"

Sasuke opened his eyes slightly to look up at him. "Why… did you act so kind towards me when you we're kidnapping me?"

Kabuto gave him an expressionless stare, then turned his head, adjusting his glasses again and closing his eyes while giving Sasuke a smirk.

"Heh. I wonder the same thing too." He said dismissively, turning and walking towards the door, leaving Sasuke completely puzzled by his awkward response.


	3. Turning Point

Isolated Murmurs

_Chapter 3: Turning Point_

Sasuke just sighed, and turned to his side so he was facing the wall opposite of the door. He gently ran his fingertips down the cool, damp stone. It was a mixture of grey, black, and a minute amount of brown.

A darkened splotch of blood met with the tips of his fingers and he realized it was dried splattered blood.

Sasuke took a sturdy breath, trying not to vomit at the sight. The blood hadn't been there that long. Yes, it was dried, but it had just recently dried.

The uncomfortable and unsafe feeling returned back to him, and Sasuke started to unintentionally shiver in fear.

_Uchihas don't tremble._ He scolded himself, squeezing his eyes shut tight until he felt a small amount of pain.

Sasuke sighed, and then removed his hand from the chilly surface of the rock; instead, he glanced around the room, becoming aware of what was around him.

It was a basic room. Next to his bed was a small side table with one candle and a match in case he needed it. Across from the bed was a plain wooden chair. It looked as if it would bust if one person sat on it.

There was a strange rope handing from the ceiling on the very opposite corner of the bed Sasuke was lying on. It was only about a foot above the ground, but it went through a big hole on the ceiling, and then to the wall, where a kunai was pinning the end of the rope to keep it in place. Anybody could raise or lower the rope whenever they wanted, but Sasuke saw no use for the rope, so he didn't bother spending too much time examining it.

Sasuke sighed again, then closed his eyes and turned back to his side. He was drowsy, yes, but he didn't want to sleep.

He focused his thoughts to where he was and how he could escape.

Closing his eyes, he started using some of his senses to figure out where he was.

_Let's see, it's cool and chilly, but all the walls are made of rocks, so I think I'm either underground or in a cave or some sort. There's no windows of any kind so I can't tell what it's like outside. I don't smell anything familiar from outside. All I smell is blood and must from this creepy room. I don't sense any familiar Chakras around, so we probably aren't anywhere close to the village. _Sasuke carefully analyzed, checking his thought process every once in awhile to make sure he was accurate.

After awhile, he finally brought his senses down to an end. He didn't have much Chakra yet, so he couldn't use Sharingan to help him.

Sasuke was still slightly tired, but the effect of whatever he was injected with was beginning to wear off. He could finally feel some strength to move around a little bit.

A little while later…

It was about three hours since Kabuto brought Sasuke into his room. Sasuke went against his will and took a quick nap, hoping that Orochimaru wouldn't do anything to him while he slept. He was right, he didn't.

After resting for two hours, he had spent the last hour lying on his bed thinking of ways to escape and coming up blank.

He was lying on his bed, staring off into space when he heard his room door blast open, Orochimaru running at him full speed, Kabuto standing behind the door, holding more syringes in a clear case.

Sasuke could only panic for a split second before Orochimaru had pounded Sasuke up against the wall, his arm choking Sasuke by the throat.

Sasuke coughed blood, pinching his eyes shut tightly, feeling his consciousness quickly waver.

"W-what are you…?" Sasuke trailed off, lost in a battle to stay awake and minimize the pain as much as possible.

Orochimaru only snickered, using more pressure against Sasuke's neck. Then, he jabbed Sasuke in the stomach using his elbow. Sasuke cried out in agony.

Sasuke grabbed Sasuke's wrist and painfully twisted it backwards. Sasuke hissed in pain, his throat already sore from the painful screams that had already emerged.

Orochimaru grabbed him by the neck and pulled him into the air. Sasuke struggled desperately to suck in air he couldn't get into his lungs. Orochimaru threw him across the room, where he smacked his head against the wall and cried out again.

His consciousness wavered once again, but he had not lost his desperate hold on it. He coughed once again, as Orochimaru jumped onto Sasuke's legs and flipped him around, not only twisting Sasuke's legs painfully, but he was now on his back. His back was completely exposed to Orochimaru, who grabbed his hands and yanked them back painfully. Sasuke screamed, blood gurgling in his throat.

Orochimaru nodded to Kabuto, who abandoned the case at the door and walk over to Kabuto, who took hold of Sasuke's legs while Orochimaru tied his wrists together on the rope.

He walked over to the other end of the rope that was stuck into the wall by the kunai knife, and he lifted Sasuke into the air until he was on his knees. Orochimaru Stuck the kunai back into the wall.

Kabuto let go of Sasuke's legs and silently walked back to the door, picking the case back up and watching Orochimaru torture Sasuke by jabbing kunai knives through his stomach and legs. Next, he punched and kicked him endlessly, making Sasuke wish, no, _pray_ that he would black out and sleep through the next few days.

Orochimaru smiled at the sight of Sasuke screaming, crying, and squirming trying to avoid the pain and get away.

Finally, after countless screams and stab wounds, Orochimaru laughed evilly at his damage, then flicked his head around and narrowed his eyes at Kabuto.

"Kabuto, fix Sasuke up a little bit, then leave him." He said, as he untied Sasuke's hands and smacked Sasuke's head hard to make sure he didn't try to stand and fight.

Sasuke let out a loud moan, falling to the ground on his side, his head hitting the cold, hard stone floor with a big smack that echoed off the walls.

Kabuto rushed over to Sasuke's side and checked his wounds over carefully. Finally, after what seemed like hours, days, _months_ to Sasuke, Kabuto finally spoke up. He reached into his case.

"You really did some damage to him, Orochimaru. These wounds won't heal without some serious medical treatment and some heavy rest and food."

Orochimaru laughed like it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. "Ha ha, of course, he won't be getting any of those." He snickered, the hiss still lingering in his voice.

Kabuto took out a syringe, making sure that there was the right dosage to it. He glanced at Sasuke face, pained and paler than ever.

His eyes closed, and he whimpered in pain. He opened his mouth and moaned, blood pooling out a dangerous rate. He mumbled something, but mixed with all his panting, trembling, and blood, his words gurgled softly and became incoherent.

Kabuto sighed softly, picking up Sasuke's bruised, sprained wrist, and twisted it around quickly and painlessly, injecting the needle through Sasuke's soft flesh. He pressed down, and the liquid slowly entered Sasuke's arm.

Sasuke let out another painful moan as the liquid did what was supposed to do, then Kabuto's Medical Jutsu started up, and he hovered his hands just above Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke felt pain ebb away very slowly, but then as the liquid started flowing through his body more frequently, the healing quickly faded and he let out another scream.

Kabuto lifted up Sasuke's head gently. "Sasuke, cough out all the blood in your lungs." He ordered. Sasuke did as he was told, coughing up blood by what seemed like the gallons.

Eventually, after coughing for several painful minutes, the massive globs of blood slowly lessened to nothing but tiny little speckles as small as dirt.

He rested his head back on the floor, feeling exhaustion wash over him. He couldn't sleep though, and the pain had became too much for him to take. All the heartless blows Orochimaru had left him and the liquid that Kabuto had injected him with had left him in total agony. Cold, hard tears streamed down Sasuke's face as the pain became too much for him to handle.

And that's how they left the situation:

A laughing Kabuto, a smirking Orochimaru, and a beaten, bloody, crying Sasuke.

**Sound awesome? Cheesy? Strange?**

**Sorry about this chapter, I realize that my vocabulary wasn't as good as normal in this chapter, I apologize. I was watching Naruto with my friends while making this and it was hard to concentrate, but with school, it was the only decent time to do it.**

**Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**And no, I am NOT a Sasuke hater! (Seriously, read my profile. I am a crazy, obsessed fangirl. My whole room is blanketed with pictures of Sasuke!) xD**

**Until next time!  
~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


	4. Needle in a Haystack

Chapter 4:

Needle in a Haystack

Isolated Murmurs

Several hours raced by on the clock, however, these hours felt like years to Sasuke. He wasn't sure what time it was, due to him crying himself to sleep multiple times. Three times, he had counted. Each time he woke up, the pain seemed to increase, and it felt like he was awake triple the time he was sleeping.

_Why? Why is he doing this to me?_ He thought miserably, taking a shaky breath, and momentarily closing his eyes, spilling over more teardrops. _Why does it have to be me? First my whole family is slaughtered, then I get cursed by Orochimaru, now I was kidnapped by him… what else does this pathetic life have to throw at me? How much more do I have to lose before I break? _He thought, unable to surpass a shiver running down his spine at the thought.

He heard the soft _tap tap_ of footsteps outside his door and he quickly ducked his head down and shut his eyes, evening out his breaths, and feigning sleep.

He heard the door creak open slowly, and a dim light entered Sasuke's room, growing bigger and bigger as the individual pushed it away more.

Although he was petrified, Sasuke did an impressive job of simulating sleep. The person didn't notice he was actually awake.

"Sasuke." The voice whispered coolly. It was Kabuto. Sasuke didn't dare say a word. He may have every cell in his body screaming for him to beg Kabuto to heal the pain, but never would he sell his pride away for some treatment.

"_Sasuke!"_ The voice persisted; his whisper was now a hiss. He clearly wanted Sasuke to respond. Sasuke peeked one of his eyes open. Surprisingly, Kabuto was empty handed.

Kabuto muttered something completely unfathomable and started walking towards the young Uchiha. He didn't dare look up, but let out a soft moan, trying to show Kabuto that he was asleep, but still in a tremendous amount of pain.

Kabuto snickered slightly, but continued to make more steps towards Sasuke.

_Step, step, step, step, step. _The footsteps kept persisting, but in Sasuke's current state, it made the light tapping seem more like a soft humming lullaby than a threat.

The soft sound slowly died out as Kabuto approached Sasuke and bent down on his knees.

Sasuke shut his tight as sweat trickled down his forehead, and he prayed that Kabuto wouldn't realize he was awake. He was extremely lucky, his only slip went unnoticed.

Kabuto put a hand on the boy's forehead, checking for fever. Sasuke had a throbbing headache, and felt like thrashing around it hurt so bad, but he had been still the whole time, again, not ready to shatter his pride to pain.

The next ten minutes Sasuke spent getting poked and prodded by Kabuto is various locations. Some felt relaxing and calming; most likely the medic knew places on your body that could easily relax you. Others made Sasuke want to scream in pain, he dug his nail into one of Sasuke's stab wounds, lightly, but enough to make Sasuke hiss in pain, slightly alarming the medic. He jumped back, and that was enough to startle Sasuke as he quickly jumped to his knees, then immediately yelling in pain and clutching his stomach, grabbing at the spot where most of his wounds were.

"You… you're awake?" Kabuto gasped. "Yeah, now back off." He hissed, with one eye opened, the other pressed tightly together in pain.

Kabuto gave him a synthetic smile. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that quite yet." He said.

Sasuke shot him a death glare, proving his anger towards the silver haired medic. Kabuto smirked and fixed his glasses.

"Come to torture and beat me again?" Sasuke rasped. He was losing his voice, he realized.

"No… not this time." Kabuto said, his voice became breathless, something that rarely happened to the medic. He wasn't sure if it was the sight of Sasuke like this, or the room blotched in blood. Maybe a little of both.

"Alright, Sasuke. Confess up. What hurts?" He asked. Sasuke shot him another death glare. "What? Are you trying to stab a knife through me with that glare or something?" He joked, but Sasuke wasn't in the mood for his teasing. Instead, he just closed his eyes and turned his head away. He was still grasping at his stomach.

"Come on, Sasuke. Let me know. I can take the pain away."

Tempting, yes. Successful, no.

"I don't need your pitiful help." Sasuke snorted. Kabuto gave Sasuke a hard stare, "Sasuke-"

"GO AWAY!! YOU AND OROCHIMARU CAUSED ALL THIS PAIN NOW WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE!?" He screamed.

"Shh… quiet down Sasuke. You'll disturb Orochimaru. You don't want that to happen would you?" Sasuke quickly quieted his yelling, flinching visibly.

Kabuto snickered "That's what I thought. Now, tell me what hurts."

Reluctantly, Sasuke started to cooperate. (A/N 0_o)

"Hasn't me holding my stomach for the past twenty minutes tip you off you pathetic excuse of a medic!" Sasuke snapped, making Kabuto flinch.

"You know, you really gotta work on that attitude problem of yours." He said dully.

He received a death glare in return.

Kabuto yawned. He hadn't been able to sleep lately, and exhaustion was finally kicking in.

Just then, Sasuke broke into a relentless coughing fit; bright red blood drops dotted the floor, making it seem like a blood shower to all the little dust particles lying dormant on the unwashed floor.

"Sasuke, why don't you lay down for a second while I get something to treat that nasty cough?" Kabuto asked him.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, and Kabuto smacked his forehead in embarrassment. "Right… you're already doing so." He cursed at himself mentally, and then slowly headed for the door.

Sasuke was only left alone for seconds before Kabuto rushed back with two things in hand again.

One was a senbon, while the other was a normal shot.

He sat down on his knees and used a Medical Jutsu over Sasuke's shoulder, cleaning off the skin. Kabuto couldn't help noticing how weak the Uchiha was. He couldn't even stand anymore.

"W-what is it this time you sick minded medic?" He asked, his voice was getting raspy again.

"Shh… it's alright. It's just a little thing to help your rough cough." Kabuto lied, and Sasuke saw right through it, which only worried him more deeply.

Kabuto reluctantly slide the shot through Sasuke's arm and inserted the white liquid into him.

Sasuke hissed, grunted, and moaned in pain. His body couldn't even handle a needle after what had happened before, either that same day or the day before. Maybe even two days. He couldn't be sure.

After Kabuto got done emptying the contents into Sasuke, he quickly pulled the needle out, making Sasuke grab his arm and flinch in pain.

"After all the pain you just went through, you're think a needle prick hurts?" He laughed. Sasuke swung at him with the arm he had just had gotten the shot on.

Bad idea.

Three things happened all at once:

One, he swung at Kabuto.

Two, he missed.

Three, the liquid in his arm had spread quickly causing him to fall to the ground gripping his hand and hissing in pain as the liquid made his way through his whole body.

_That fast!? _Sasuke thought with a growl, but the angry face that showed quickly disappeared to a helpless, pained expression as he screamed in absolute agony, propping himself up on his elbow to sit up as best as he could.

Kabuto brushed the hair out of his face, "Calm down, Sasuke." He said coldly.

Sasuke continued to pant in absolute agony, but Kabuto knew the solution. In fact, that's why he brought his second item.

He picked the senbon off the ground, and made his way through Sasuke's thick hair to some certain pressure point in his neck, and with excellent accuracy, slide the needle through his skin.

Sasuke could only let out a surprised gasp. His eyes clouded over as his shoulder gave out and he fell to the ground, his head hitting the ground with a huge smack, but he was unconscious before he could feel any pain.

**Well, there's that chapter!! ^^  
What was the fluid that Kabuto injected into Sasuke? What will happen? (Don't say a word Paul!) xD**

**Please review. Cookies to whoever does!!**

**Yummy, fresh baked cookies right out of the oven... lol. Jk.**

**~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


	5. Three Heads of Hope

Isolated Murmurs

Chapter 5:

Three Heads of Hope

Sasuke's mind swam in a daze after he woke up many hours later. He couldn't feel a single body part, and couldn't even remember where he was or how he got there. In fact he couldn't remember anything.

_I remember the basics like talking, eating, and breathing, and I remember my name, but I don't remember much more than that. I don't remember where I am, why I'm injured, or anything else. What's going on? _Sasuke thought miserably, letting out a small sigh and closing his eyes.

He lied on the cold floor for many more hours after that, never once regaining his memory over anything.

He awoke after a long nap to the sound of his door creaking open. "Sasuke, are you awake now? You haven't been awake the last three times I have checked on you." A man's voice spoke up. It was a gentle, warm voice that spoke clearly.

"Who… who are you?" Sasuke asked, his back still turned to the unknown person.

The man let out a snicker that Sasuke was not meant to hear, although his extremely good ears happened to catch it. _Good. That drug must've worked well._ Kabuto thought.

"You don't remember me? My name is Kabuto Yakushi." He spoke with a kind smile to accompany it.

Sasuke shook his head, "I don't remember anything…" His voice was barely above a whisper, and he was trembling with fear pretty badly.

_He must've lost some of his attitude as well._ Kabuto thought.

"Well, I am the medic here. I am your best friend. Our sensei is Orochimaru." He said. "This is where you lived for a long time now." He bent down and started healing some of Sasuke's injuries.

Sasuke let out a content sigh, showing his calmness towards the medic. Then, he flinched and hissed at the pain in his stomach.

"Wh-what happened to me?" He asked Kabuto, showing the pain in his eyes.

"These people, they came and attacked you. Their names are Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Listen to me, they may come back and attack you again. If they do, tell them no, and get away from them. They injected you with something to make you forget everything, and if they get a hold of you again, you may not survive. They were the ones who hurt you." Kabuto lied.

Sasuke slowly sat up, then fell back to the ground with a pained gasp. Kabuto gave him his best fake smile. "Well, you certainly won't be able to move for a few days." He said.

_Well, that will mostly be because of the extra drug I gave you while you were passed out from the pain, but oh well._ Kabuto thought, trying desperately not to let out the evil snicker he had.

"Sasuke, why don't you take these pills. They'll knock you out, but you definitely need to get some rest anyway." Kabuto suggested.

Sasuke gave him a small smile. "Alright." He said. "I'll take it."

Kabuto smiled with his eyes, fixing his glasses. Then, he reached down into his pocket and took out a bottle of pills. He opened the cap, and took out two pills. He handed them to Sasuke, who took them without saying a word.

Kabuto sat by Sasuke's side, holding his hand for the next ten minutes.

It was then that Sasuke finally fell asleep. His breaths evened, and his grip on Kabuto's hand loosened.

Kabuto gave a soft sigh, his evil smirk finally returning, along with his playful tone. "Sleep well, Sasuke." He said in that same voice, standing up. He slammed his foot down on Sasuke's hand intentionally. Sasuke let out a small moan, and Kabuto just gave a small _hn _and walked outside, where Orochimaru was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"How did it go?" He hissed with an awkward smile on his lips. Kabuto smirked in return.

"Oh just fine. That drug is affecting him more than I thought it would. He lost part of his personality. He's not hard to handle anymore. I was successful in making him believe his old teammates were the bad guys here, and I got him to take the pills to knock him out."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed once again. "You _did_ make him believe that we're his friends, right? I mean, so he believes everything we say?"

Kabuto gave him a slight nod. "He trusted me well. He even let me hold his hand until he fell asleep for the last ten minutes. He also let me heal him, so I think he'll be just fine."

"Perfect." Orochimaru hissed, his voice trailed off as he spoke, and his tongue swiped around his face.

Orochimaru opened the door, shutting it behind him. A minute later, Kabuto peeked through the door to find Orochimaru kicking the young Uchiha around again, leaving bruises much bigger and more painful than last time.

"I only wish he was awake to feel it." Orochimaru said, as he took a kunai and brutally stabbed it into Sasuke's hand, then spinning it while taking it out. He then used the same one to stab Sasuke chest, missing his heart by inches. Orochimaru knew where he could stab and slice without killing the Uchiha.

He took out an electrical whip and started slapping Sasuke's back with it. Sparks flew up from Sasuke's body with every whip. Huge gashes formed on his back, blood pouring out of the wounds as if they were rising out of the ocean waters gasping for air.

Orochimaru called for Kabuto to come in with medical tape, and once he did Orochimaru slit Sasuke's throat, immediately telling the medic to stop the blood flow on it. Once he did, he ordered Kabuto to stand against the wall and wait. After a few more cruel punches and brutal kicks, he finally stopped torturing Sasuke.

Kabuto released a breath he didn't realize he was holding as he rushed by Orochimaru's side, but didn't dare lean in close to Sasuke to make sure he was ok without Orochimaru's permission.

Kabuto shot Orochimaru a worried glance, and Orochimaru fully understood.

"Go ahead." He said. His gaze returned back to the beaten and bloody Sasuke on the floor as Kabuto quickly rushed to the Uchiha's side and kneeled down, starting a Medical Jutsu almost immediately.  
From afar, Kabuto thought he was dead, and that didn't change when he reached Orochimaru.

Even by his master's side, he couldn't hear a single breath or any presence of Sasuke's Chakra. By how much blood he was losing, and how deathly pale the boy was, Kabuto could've sworn that if it was anybody else, they would've been dead a long time before.

When Kabuto finally reached Sasuke, he had not been able to tell even up close if Sasuke was alive or not, it took him a pulse check, a heartbeat check, and a medical examination.

"How is he?" Orochimaru hissed. Kabuto looked back up at him.

"Well, not so good. He's got the weakest pulse I have ever seen in a patient who hasn't died yet, and his heartbeat is extremely low. He's suffering from a broken wrist, arm, and multiple broken ribs. His body is in trauma even though he's sleeping and he may go comatose any second now. I'm telling you. If this wasn't Sasuke, they'd be dead. The only reason this boy is living is because of his because of his Uchiha blood." Kabuto said, his voice was an unnoticed whisper.

"Any chances of survival?" Orochimaru asked his loyal servant.

Kabuto closed his eyes and shook his head while sighing at the same time. "Barely. With all the injuries and blood loss, even if I were to heal him completely, the odds of him surviving the night would be at a 35 percent chance maximum. Since we aren't giving him any medical treatment, the odds are 10 percent chance highest."

Orochimaru sighed, "Give him minimal treatment. If he survives, he survives. He dies, he dies." He said. Kabuto wanted to object, but he knew better than to mess with Orochimaru. He simply nodded. _Why am I so concerned about Sasuke?_ He thought.

He took out a syringe and filled it with a serum, then injecting it into Sasuke's arm carefully, quickly doing his best to stop the bleeding, but with Sasuke's body in such a terrible state, the medical Jutsu was barely effective, and it took triple the amount of Chakra to heal him. Kabuto had quickly sucked up all of his Chakra curing only a minimal amount of damage. Then, he gave Sasuke a Chakra booster, something to help his body stop the bleeding, some painkillers, and a sedative to keep his body calm.

"What are the percentages now?" Orochimaru asked Kabuto.

"Well, I barely healed him, even with everything I just gave him. His chances are now up to 15 percent."

Orochimaru looked surprised. "Nothing more than that?" He asked. Kabuto shook his head.

He nodded back to the medic. "Good, then let's go." He said. The both of them got on their feet and walked out of the room, leaving Sasuke for the rest of the night.

Meanwhile…

"So that's it? That's where he is?" A young female asked.

"Well, we can't be sure, but if he's not here, then he's most likely… dead." A man replied dully.

A younger man, no older than the female, let out a shiver.

"We'll camp here for the night, right outside the hideout. Then in the morning, we go in and get him." The older man said.

The two young teens nodded to him.

"Alright then, let's get camp set up. Tomorrow will be a _long_ day." The man groaned.

**Who are the mysterious people talking to each other, and who's the "him" they're after?**

**All will be revealed in chapter 6! ;)**

**It should be up fairly quickly, because I've already started writing it. **

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!! *gets down on hands and knees***

**One review makes me freak!!!!!! Literally!! They're like drugs to me!! The more reviews I receive, the quicker the next chapter comes out!!**

**PLEASE!!**

**And thanks for reading!! It means a lot!**

**~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


	6. Electrifying Touch

Isolated Murmurs

Chapter 6: Electrifying Touch

Sasuke woke up not on the ground like when he first fell asleep, but on his small cot. The white blankets speckled in blood- some dry and some fresh- draped over his broken, beaten body. When he opened his eyes, he found that there was something blocking his vision. It was cold and wet, a cool cloth perhaps. He groaned and tried to move it, but found himself in excruciating pain from head to toe, and he couldn't move his body, in fact, nothing but his head and neck.

Sasuke let out a miserable, agonizing cry, not knowing what else to do at this point. He couldn't move, talk, or even _breathe._ The pain became overwhelming, and Sasuke screamed in pain, choking on his voice, he coughed gallons of blood.

Tears formed in his eyes, and reluctantly streamed down his face. The pain of blinking became too much to handle, and he just shut his eyes, not caring that once they were closed, he may never be able to open them again. He didn't care. He just wanted nothing more than to have the pain leave his body.

As his gentle tears formed to racking sobs, he heard his door being slammed open and somebody rushing to his side. Immediately, he felt the warm aura of a Medical Jutsu scanning his chest and stomach thoroughly. He knew exactly who it was.

"K-Kab…u…t-to…" He gasped, louder than he had expected it to be. He only choked on the rest of his sentence, then went into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

"Shh… I'm not supposed to be here." He hushed the young Uchiha. He immediately changed from one Medical Jutsu to another. Sasuke's coughing fit stopped. Kabuto used one hand to rub Sasuke's back soothingly, while the other to hold his hand as Sasuke's tears spilled down harder.

"W-why… a-are… they d-d-do…ing… t-this…" He sobbed. Kabuto sighed, giving Sasuke his best sympathetic look.

"I don't know Sasuke… I don't know. To tell you the truth, you are supposed to be dead right now. Your chances of surviving were at 15 percent best. You are very lucky, Sasuke."

_HOW CAN YOU CALL THIS LUCKY? I RATHER BE DEAD RIGHT NOW THAN FACE THIS! _Sasuke wanted to scream at his friend, but he would never find the strength in him to do it. Not in a long, long time.

Sasuke's sobs just increased. Kabuto gave him a friendly, reassuring hug. "It's gonna be ok." Kabuto said, deepening the hug, and being extra cautious about Sasuke's broken arm and wrist.

It was then that Sasuke finally opened his eyes again.

After a minute or so, when the tears finally started slowing, Kabuto gave Sasuke another shot, then he had to say goodbye. It was true that he wasn't supposed to be there.

"W…wait…" Sasuke managed to choke out just in time. "Hm? What is it Sasuke?" Kabuto asked.

"H-How l-long… has i-it… been s-since… they d-did t-this… to… me…" He gasped out.

Kabuto let out another sigh, "It's been two days now. You completely slept through the first day." He said, "But I suppose that's a good thing, because you really needed the rest."

With that, Kabuto walked out the door, giving Sasuke a small wave goodbye as he closed the door.

Moments later, Sasuke felt his eyes slide shut as he fell into another uneasy sleep.

Kabuto rested his back against the wall and let out a heavy sigh _it's not easy comforting Sasuke like this, that's for sure._ He thought as he walked back to his room, being extra alert about Orochimaru.

Meanwhile…

"Can you sense his Chakra in there, Kakashi sensei?" The female asked.

"Yes, Sakura, I can sense his Chakra, however, his levels are extremely low, in fact, so low, that without my Sharingan, I wouldn't be able to sense it."

Both teens gasped, "So, what does that mean?" The blonde asked.

"It means that he's… on the verge of… death." Kakashi whispered.

All three of them hung their heads low.

"You sure you still wanna rescue him, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto looked up at his sensei. "Of course, Kakashi sensei! I'm not going to just give up on him! Let's go!" He said.

Sakura nodded. "We've got to hurry though, or else he'll be dead by the time we find him." She half whispered.

Naruto gulped, while Kakashi started focusing his Chakra to a certain point in the building, until he found his target.

"Found him, Alright! Let's move!" He told his team.

_Don't worry Sasuke, we're coming!_ Naruto and Sakura both thought.

All three of them successfully infiltrated the building, and made their way to Sasuke's room.

The whole team could smell the blood and evil aroma drifting from outside the door. "Naruto, why don't you and I go in there and get Sasuke out, Sakura, you stay and watch for enemies." Kakashi told his students, who both nodded in agreement.

Naruto swallowed hard as he slowly opened the door. It creaked loudly as it opened.

Peeking around into the darkness, they could hardly see anything. Naruto eyes were still adjusting to the light when Kakashi whispered. "I feel his Chakra, he's in here." He lifted his headband, showing his Sharingan eye. Right across from them, despite all the blood and weapons everywhere, he could see a small, nearly unnoticeable Chakra radiating off of someone's body.

He immediately recognized it as Sasuke's.

"No… Sasuke!" Kakashi gasped, rushing towards his tortured student, Naruto trailing only inches behind him. Naruto gasped as the sight of Sasuke's body, while Kakashi had a depressed look on his face that he hadn't shown in years. In fact, the last time he made that face was when his father had died.

Kakashi carefully studied his student's body. Seeing all the cracked ribs and his broken wrist and arm, both on the same side.

_Orochimaru has one sick mind._ He thought to himself, but immediately was brought back to his senses as Sasuke let out the most desperate gasp he had ever heard from Sasuke.

Kakashi had to be extremely careful handling Sasuke, not only with all the broken bones, but Sasuke was most likely in a lot of mental trauma.

Naruto and Kakashi both wouldn't touch Sasuke yet, not until Sasuke was at least awake, it was the correct thing to do to make sure Sasuke wouldn't do anything to them. Just in case. A precaution.

"Sasuke, hey, Sasuke wake up." Kakashi said, careful not to be too loud, but not too quiet, and at the same time not to touch Sasuke.

It took several tries, but finally, Sasuke's eyes opened halfway as he let out a miserable moan.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said unsurely.

"W-who… a-a…re y-you…" Sasuke asked, between choking pants and gasps. His labored breathing and bleeding from everywhere made both Kakashi and Naruto want to vomit, but they both held up the courage.

"It's your teammates, Sasuke. Naruto and Kakashi. Sakura is waiting outside, we're here to get you out." Naruto told his teammate.

Kakashi was about to pick up his frail student when Sasuke's breaths started getting quicker, and he started to panic… badly.

"Sasuke, what's wrong? Calm down!" Kakashi said quickly, raising his voice slightly so Sasuke could hear him over his own gasping.

"P-ple…ase…. D-don…t… h-hurt… me…" He pleaded, his eyes shutting tight in both pain and fear.

"Sasuke, we're not going to hurt you! We're here to rescue you! It was Kabuto and Orochimaru who hurt you, not us!" Naruto said in a rush. His face started to turn a bright red at the thought of putting Sasuke in this condition. He never could. Not ever.

"N-no… K-Kab…u…to s-said…" Sasuke trailed off into a series of coughing fits that never seemed to stop.

Kakashi gave a sad sigh, "Kabuto and Orochimaru put him through so much trauma, they must have done something to his mind to make it seem like we were the ones doing it to you. Not vice versa."

Naruto took a step closer, but felt Sasuke's breaths get even quicker, he tried to inch his body away as much as possible, but it was barely anything since he couldn't move at all.

"Naruto, stop it. You're scaring him." Kakashi said.

"No. Sasuke needs to know that we are his friends. He can't go around thinking Orochimaru and Kabuto are his friends. That'll only get Sasuke killed."

"Naruto-" Kakashi said sternly, but he got cut off.

"Sensei! Let me do this! I will not accept this Sasuke! The real Sasuke doesn't get scared of anything!"

Hearing this made Sasuke try his best to squeeze into a tighter ball, his shut eyes started shaking in fear, he grit his teeth together and started making slight whimpers.

"Sasuke! You can't be afraid of us! We're your friends!" Naruto yelled. The loud voice made Sasuke let out a scared yelp and scrunch his face. He wouldn't dare open his eyes anymore.

"NARUTO! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Kakashi yelled back at him. Naruto starting to bring it down on Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke waited for his death, Naruto waited for a response, and Kakashi waited for a scared scream from Sasuke.

But, when Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's cheek, the result was electrifying.

Sasuke's mind all at once went through a huge rush as he gasped. His eyes shot open faster than lightning, and his eyes were wider than Naruto had ever seen him.

Normally, Sasuke would've been screaming, but all he could do was let out a short, weak gasp. His head had bolted up from the bloody pillow, but after the long ticking seconds went by, it fell right back into it.

Sasuke lied there panting, this time his head facing Naruto and Kakashi. His eyes were shut tight in pain.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi whispered uncertain of what had just happened.

It took Sasuke a full minute to recuperate from Naruto's touch.

All three of them had no idea what had happened. But one thing Naruto and Kakashi noticed was that Sasuke wasn't scared anymore. Nothing showed on his face but absolute agony.

"Sasuke? Sasuke. Hey, come on Sasuke. Open your eyes." Naruto pressed. Kakashi gave him a small nudge to silence him.

Sasuke's eyes fluttered, then slowly opened halfway, his grey pupils landing on the fuzzy image of his teammates. They closed fully again, and it took him a whole ten seconds before he could open them halfway again.

"N-Na…ruto? K-Kaka…shi?" He whispered, like he doubted they were there.

"Yes, Sasuke. It's us." Kakashi said, testing Sasuke's reactions.

Sasuke shut his eyes again, this time squeezing them tightly.

"P…ple…ase.. h-help me…" He whispered. "T-they've… done… every…thing… to me… tri…cked m-me… b-beat… me…" He trailed off in more coughs.

"Shh… Sasuke. It's ok, we're here." Kakashi said reassuringly, rubbing the boy's back gently.

Fresh tears formed over Sasuke's eyes, trailing the tears that had dried on his cheeks.

"Naruto, it was your touch that enabled Sasuke to remember us." Kakashi told his blonde student, who could only look to the floor.

"Sasuke, you need immediate medical attention. Come on, let's get you back to the Leaf Village." Kakashi said, trying to pick Sasuke up, but Sasuke nudged away as best as he could.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked him.

"N-Na…ruto…" He whispered.

Kakashi looked bewildered, both of his eyes open wide. "What? You want Naruto?"

Sasuke gave a vague nod.

Naruto looked from Kakashi to Sasuke, then let out a sigh and walked over to Sasuke, carefully lifting the boy into his arms. Kakashi moved Sasuke's broken arm so that it and the wrist were resting on Sasuke's chest.

What Sasuke did next was not only a miracle, but the biggest surprise yet, even bigger than how they found Sasuke.

Sasuke somehow found the strength to move his body upwards- and that was the miracle.

The biggest surprise?

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck and buried his head into his shoulder. Letting out a gasp that was meant to be a sigh.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said unsurely.

"I… was… s-so… a-afr…aid… of… d-dying… N-Nar…uto I-I m-missed y-you…" He whispered.

Naruto felt warm tears swell in his eyes, but he did a good job keeping them from spilling over.

He tried his best to give the young Uchiha a hug with him still in his arms. He felt Kakashi walk up behind him.

"Naruto, turn your head away for a second and don't breathe. But Sasuke, you keep breathing as best as you can." Kakashi told them.

Naruto quickly turned his head and obliged, but curiosity swelled up in Sasuke.

"W-what… a-are… y-you…" He trailed off as a wet cloth covered his mouth and nose.

He immediately recognized it as a liquefied sedative.

Sasuke buried his head into Naruto's neck. "D-don't… I d-don't… wa…nt… to be p-put… to s-sleep…" He said. Kakashi gave a small sigh.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but it's for the best." He said, trying to get it near Sasuke's face without getting it too close to Naruto.

"Naruto help me here." Kakashi said.

Clumsily balancing Sasuke in one hand, Naruto tried prying Sasuke's head towards Kakashi, and when they finally managed to get Sasuke's head in an open space for Kakashi to put the cloth on his mouth, Sasuke stopped breathing.  
Kakashi knew this was another problem

He knew Sasuke would eventually start breathing, but it would be awhile, even in this state.

He pressed a certain pressure point on Sasuke's shoulder. He quickly gasped in pain, instantly breathing in the sedative and falling limp in Naruto's arms.

"There. That should keep him asleep for at least a few hours." Kakashi said. Naruto nodded, readjusting Sasuke's skinny, beaten body in his arms.

_Orochimaru will pay for what he did to Sasuke._ Naruto thought.

"Come on, let's get Sasuke out of here." Kakashi said. Naruto nodded, and they quickly ran out of the room, instantly rushing towards Sakura, then back to the Leaf Village.

Sasuke's life was now in safe hands.

**So… Sasuke is now in good, safe hands!! He's finally free from Orochimaru! No more abuse!! ^^**

**But, with all these fatal injuries he received, can he make it to the Leaf Village.**

**Think about it, he's facing major blood loss, many broken bones, + moving someone around in that condition is extremely hard to do because it can make the situation worse.**

**Will Sasuke survive?**

**Find out soon! ;)**

**Btw, the next chapter is either the last, or the 2****nd**** to last chapter… it's almost done! ^^**

**Thanks to all who reviewed my stories!!**

**Yea… I realized this chapter was a lot longer than a normal chapter!! But hey, the more, the better… right? …right? RIGHT!?!?**

**Please please please please please please please PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Reviews make the world go round. (at least, my world)**

**Next chapter should be up as early as tomorrow and as late as 3 days.**

**See you later! ;) Thanks for reading! *Review!***

**~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


	7. Life Against Death

Isolated Murmurs

Chapter 7: Life Against Death

Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi managed to get Sasuke out of the building without being caught, and after they got out, they quickly headed for the only road there was around where it was safe from guards.

Naruto still was clutching Sasuke in his arms by the time they got far away enough to be able to take a break and rest. Even in his sleep, his grip never loosened.

They sat and briefly went over what happened with Sakura, who cried uncontrollably at the situation.

Sakura wiped away the hot tears streaming down her tan face, quickly examining the young Uchiha's injuries.

"His condition is bad; he will most likely not survive. He was beaten too badly. He will be suffering from tons and tons of mental damage, and he might not be the same Sasuke anymore." She half whispered sadly.

_What had he been through while he was here? _Sakura wondered sadly.

Sasuke let out an agonized moan, and shuddered slightly, indicating that the sedative was starting to wear off. He shuffled a little, adjusting himself in Naruto's arms. His body made the slightest twitch afterwards.

Naruto tightened his grip on him, while Sakura moved the hair out of his eyes. Kakashi watched his students care for Sasuke in both awe and sadness.

"Let's go." He said after a minute. They both nodded, standing up and stretching their legs, preparing for another run. Naruto knew Sasuke wouldn't be running anytime soon, so he did his best to keep Sasuke comfortable while he ran and at the same time not move Sasuke too much, and be cautious of his broken bones. His ragged breaths deepened as he fought for more air.

"He's getting a lot worse." Naruto told his sensei, who only gave Sasuke a small glance, then sighed, closing his eyes. They all took off running.

* * *

After an hour of running, all of the team got tired, especially Naruto, carrying his same weight in his arms in an awkward, more painful way to keep his teammate comfortable.

Momentarily, throughout the hour, he would check Sasuke's pulse to make sure he was still with them.

The whole time, Sasuke never had woken up. The anesthetic had worn off as soon as they started running, but yet, he still didn't wake up.

Kakashi got worried that Sasuke had went into a coma.

"I'm gonna wake him up, and try to get some food in him." Kakashi told his teammates.

They both nodded. "Poor Sasuke, he probably didn't eat a single thing since he was there." She said looking at Sasuke's ribs which were sticking out clearly; she could even see the broken ones.

Naruto adjusted Sasuke in his arms slightly, so he was lying down, but since he refused to let go of Naruto's neck, he was lying on his side more than his back.

Kakashi gently placed his hand on the young Uchiha's shoulder.

Sasuke didn't do as much as flinch.

"Sasuke." Kakashi whispered. No response.

"Sasuke." He said again. Nothing more than a tremble.

"Sasuke? Sasuke come on, Sasuke! Wake up, Sasuke! Wake up!" Naruto pleaded, giving Sasuke's hand a tight squeeze.

Sasuke still didn't do anything. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura all understood what that meant.

"He's… in a coma! He went into a coma!" Sakura wailed, burying her head in her arms and crying. Kakashi pulled her into a warm embrace, closing his eyes tightly, the tears threatening to spill over.

Naruto couldn't believe what was happening. No. Not Sasuke. Anybody but Sasuke. It couldn't be Sasuke! Sasuke couldn't be in a coma!

"Naruto…" Kakashi whispered.

"It's… ok sensei…" Naruto whispered, tears pouring down his face. Kakashi gave him a synthetic face.

"It can't be Sasuke… not Sasuke…" He whispered. "Anybody… but… Sasuke…" He whispered. Tears dripped from Naruto's cheeks, dropping onto Sasuke's face.

Sasuke let out another moan, eyes squeezing shut tighter as he tried to avoid the bright sun.

"SASUKE! DON'T DIE ON ME!" Naruto screamed as loud as he could. "DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME!" Sasuke's breaths got shallower.

"Naruto, stop it." Kakashi said sternly, but in a soft voice. "COME ON! WHAT'S WRONG!? ARE YOU TOO WEAK TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT? COME ON! WAKE UP!" Naruto screamed. He grabbed Sasuke's arms and set them next to his sides, still being cautious with his arm and wrist. He set Sasuke on the ground gently, and ran.

He ran as far away as his feet could take him. He didn't care where he was going, and how he was going to get back. All he cared about was being alone.

_Alone._ _Sasuke was always alone._ The thought crossed his mind.

Millions of times with Sasuke flashed through his mind, threatening more tears to fall. Finally, Naruto's feet couldn't handle the exhaustion and he collapsed onto the soft grass, bawling uncontrollably.

"_Sasuke…" _He said between sobs. He whispered his name over and over again. It was heartbreaking, and he wasn't sure couldn't handle the pain as it was. If Sasuke were to die…

He didn't want to think about it. Not at all.

He wasn't sure how long he sat and cried for, minutes? Hours? It felt like days, _centuries_ even, but the tears wouldn't stop falling.

Eventually, through all the mental pain he was suffering, he managed to cry himself asleep.

* * *

He awoke to somebody carrying his body across the soft meadow. He slowly opened his eyes, still burning red from the endless tears he had shed. He focused up on the person who was carrying him.

"Kakashi sensei?" He whispered.

Kakashi looked down at him in question.

"Where are we going?" He asked his sensei, signaling for him to put his body down.

"Back to Sasuke and Sakura." He said with a sigh.

Naruto's eyes immediately opened as big as ping pong balls.

"No! I won't go back, I can't manage to see Sasuke!" He shook his head violently to shake off the image of Sasuke's weak, frail body. Kakashi put a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Look." He said.

Unwillingly, Naruto pried his eyelids open, not wanting to see Sasuke's face.

He glanced at his teammates face, wanting to desperately see a miracle- Sasuke's opened eyes.

He knew miracles had never came to Sasuke. Never. The chance of a miracle coming now, was slim.

He could only pray, as his eyes landed on to Sasuke's eyes.

And…

**PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Sorry for the major cliffhanger! :P**

**I won't make you wait that long!**

**What do you think? Do you think Sasuke is awake? Or still comatose? Reviews would be lovely!!**

**********In your review, put underneath your comment, say "AWAKE!" If you think he's awake, or "DEAD!" If you think he's dead. Or, if you think he's just in a coma still, say "COMA!" *********

**I want to see what everybody else thinks! ;)**

**Thanks for reading!! ^^  
~SasukeUchihasGuardian**


	8. Miracles

Isolated Murmurs

Chapter 8: Miracles

Previously:

_He could only pray, as his eyes landed on to Sasuke's eyes._

_And…_

Story:

Naruto's bright blue orbs crashed with faded onyx as the two teammates stared at each other speechless.

Silence. The same exact silence that Naruto found uncomfortable and Sasuke felt comforting.

A minute passed by, neither of them had attempted to make a move, or speak a word. A second ago Naruto couldn't find the strength to pry his eyes open to look at his comatose teammate, now; he couldn't find the calmness to close them. His mind was in a rush seeing Sasuke's faded onyx eyes stare back at him.

Somebody had to speak. They couldn't keep the atmosphere heavy for very long. Naruto was painfully aware that it would be him to speak, not only was Sasuke someone who never held conversations with anybody and was excellent with staying silent, but he was also extremely weak, and near death.

_What should I say?_ Naruto thought. _The longer I stay like this, the longer this comfortless aroma will lurk around me. I need to say something! But what's appropriate for this situation? _Naruto's mind raced.

He opened his mouth, about to speak a blank speech when Sasuke let out a dry cough, blood spotting the ground. Kakashi glanced worryingly at the two uncomfortable teammates, wondering why they hadn't said a word to each other.

Finally, Naruto's spoke. Mindless words happened to be the most comfortable thing Sasuke had heard since he had woken from his comatose state.

"Sasuke… I thought I would lose you…" Naruto started, desperately grasping for words. Sasuke lifted his head a little higher than before. Excruciating, yes, but hearing Naruto speak again is what he had needed.

He took a couple steps forward, awaiting a reaction from the young Uchiha, but after he hadn't done as much as twitched. Naruto had stopped walking. "These last seven days have been painful for me. We heard you were kidnapped by Orochimaru, and we thought you would've been killed the second you were brought there. We were heartbroken as well as lonely."

He took a few more steps towards Sasuke again, this time Sasuke shifted a little.

"We finally made it to you, and I thought you were dead. You were so beaten up. Then, you went into a coma on me, and I thought…" Naruto trailed off as tears dripped down his face. His words that had no meaning turned into a sad speech. He finally found useful words that he could've used but they all tumbled back down his throat the second his words stopped.

"Sasuke, how did you do it? How did you come out of the coma?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke let out a soft _Hn _before attempting to speak.

"I heard… an… annoying voice. They… kept… screaming at me… to… wake up, and as… much as I… wanted to… stay… wrapped up in that… warm blanket of… darkness, I knew… I had to stop that… annoying screaming… first. The only way I could… cease that… annoying crying was…" he couldn't finish his sentence in his weak state.

Naruto was frozen in place at his teammates words. What would've happened if he hadn't screamed at him? A waterfall of tears came out of Naruto's eyes. Both of them.

He ran up to Sasuke, giving him the biggest hug he had received in years. Not since he was six did he ever receive one that big. It was bigger than the hug Sakura have gave him after he had died in the Land of Waves.

The hug hurt, but it did bring Sasuke comfort. He hadn't received that much comfort in his life at all. Normally because he pushed people away, but this time, the one time he swallowed his pride and allowed his teammates to be close, he felt more comforted than ever.

Sakura and Kakashi walked beside the two teenagers as well. Naruto had a death grip on Sasuke as he cried, repeating Sasuke's name over and over in pure happiness. He felt as if he let go, Sasuke would leave. Strange, but after all that Sasuke had endured in just a week, Naruto felt as if a touch from anybody that wasn't friendly could kill Sasuke on the spot, even though it wasn't possible. The hug was comfortable for both of the boys, so Kakashi made no move to separate either of them.

Sakura sat next to Sasuke's head, whispering to him and asking about everything that had happened. Kakashi had listened to Sasuke's story. Though hard to speak of it, Sasuke did a great job of explaining, which could also provide the village with information that could later save the village from Orochimaru's newly made Sound Village.

After Sasuke had finished, they all ate something, then they headed back to the Hidden Leaf Village. The first place they went to was the hospital.

Once they got there, Sasuke was immediately placed intensive care.

There were multiple people who had rushed to the hospital to see him. Iruka, all of the rookies who had graduated with him, Asuma, Guy, Kurenai, the 3rd Hokage, and a few citizens who were concerned about losing the last of the Uchiha clan, yet the only people who were allowed into the Intensive Care room he was staying in, was his teammates.

The medics normally wouldn't even allow them into the room, but surprisingly, Sasuke refused to get treatment without them there. They had no choice.

The team each took their place quietly in the room. Kakashi stood leaning against the wall in the corner farthest away so he wasn't in the way of anything. Naruto sat next to Sasuke's bedside, holding his unharmed hand, while Sakura sat on the opposite side, doing simple tasks to help the medics like grabbing the supplies they needed, or helping get the bangs out of Sasuke's face when they needed her to.

Finally, after hours and hours and hours of hard work, they finally finished. Sasuke's extremely severe wounds had been reduced greatly.

Now the only thing that was worrisome was his broken bones. The cracked ribs, broken wrist, and broken arm. They gave him lots of painkillers and numbing agents to keep him comfortable and free from pain.

After that, they were waiting for him to wake up. They had put him under anesthesia during the whole operation, not realizing how much Orochimaru had given him there. Once they did realize that his body still had some lingering from all the times he had given them to him and then the time Kakashi and Naruto did, they were surprised he had survived not only all of the injuries, but all of the anesthesia as well.

Any normal person wouldn't have survived.

A miracle. The first one that Sasuke had ever gotten in his entire life.

When he finally woke up, he was happy. Happier than he had every been since he was six years old.

Another miracle. Two miracles in one day. The same exact day of his rescue.

Sasuke made a true smile for the first time in a week.

End.

**Well, the story has reached its end. **

**Thank you to all of the people who kept me on story alert, or marked my story as a favorite. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me, and it helps me to become a better writer. ;)**

**Reviews are always welcome. :)**

**You can say how much you liked or hated the story if you want! ^^**

**Cheesy story? Awesome story?**

**Should I make a sequel? Should I die in a whole? Should I write more books about kidnapping or Sasuke and Orochimaru? You can mention it in a review! :)**

**Congratulations to all who guessed correctly on what was going to happen to Sasuke.**

****To tell you the truth though, Sasuke never really went into a coma. Nancy was correct when she said "****what are the chances that he would already be better enough to be awake?" in her review. He simply was asleep and it took a long time to wake him up because of his weakened state. That's all! :3****


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